Dock.



No. 843,355 PATBNTED FEB. 5', 1907.

W. E. OVERTON.

DOCK.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 4. 1905.

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w @t w71 @m PATBNTED FEB. 5, 1907. A

W. B. OVERTON.

DOCK. Y ABPLIOATION FILED 00T. 4, v1905.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

150.543,35). PATENTBD PEB. 5, 1907.

W. E. OVERTON.

` DOCK.

`APPLICATION FILLED 00T'. 4, 1905.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

E E E- IIT-7l C\ attente? A. No. 843,355. PATENTED FEB. 5,v 1907.

W. E. OVERTON.

DOCK.

APPLICATION FILED 0012.4. 1905.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4'.

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W. 84 (0.1m, Wimax@ 1n: :vowels Pen-.es co.. wunmnmu, n4 c WILLIS E.OVERTON, OF SOLOMONS, MARYLAND.

DOCK.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 5, 1907.

Application filed October 4, 1905. Serial No. 281.331.

T0 all whom, it 771/017/ concer/1,.-

Beit known that I, l/ViLLis E. OVERTON, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Solomons, in the county of Calvert and State ofMaryland, have made a certain new and useful Invention in Docks; and Ideclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of thesame, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the invention, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to letters and figures of reference markedthereon, which forni a part ot this specification.

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevationof the same. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the same. Fig. 4 is a sectionon the line 4 4, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the two rearsections detached. Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view, partly brokenaway, of the rear section. Fig. 7 is a central longitudinal section ofthe invention, showing a modified form thereof. Fig. 8 is a detail viewofthe joint between the sections. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of onepart of this joint. Fig. l0 is a rear elevation oi' the form of theinvention shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 1l is a plan view of the rear end oiEthe dock on a larger scale.

The invention has relation to floating docks; and it consists in thenovel construction and combinations of parts, as hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the invention, the letter adesignates the bowsection oi' the dock. To this bow-section are attachedother sections in series, as indicated at b b, as may be necessary toextend the dock to the length required. The rear closing or gate sectiond is made in boat form, and it is designed to be of proper length to befloated between the side walls of the rear section of the doek, whereinit 1s secured against abutments of said rear sections. The bow-section ais designed to have the general projecting angular form of the bow oi avessel, its side walls e extending rearward in line with the side wallsof the next interL mediate section b, which is to be connected to saidbow-section. The bottom of the bowsection is designed to be arranged onthe same level with the bottoms of the series of sections The sectionsare designed to be connected in water-tight manner by means ofdovetailjoint attachment devices and suitable packings. The sections bbean, however,

be used without the bow-section or the rear gate-section, in which caseit becomes a pontoon or open-end dock. When the bow-section and closingor gate section are used, it is a Vfloating dock capable of being usedas a submerged floating doek or basin-dock.

As usually constructed, each section l) of the series is designed to bewider between the side walls than it is long, being, i'or a sectionlength el5 one hundred ieet, one hundred and five feet between the sidewalls. This construction is designed to provide a self-docking dock, aseach section may be separated and docked in such a dock formed of theother sections.

Each section consists of a hollow bottom portion f, supporting hollowside walls g, of which the inner surface 7a is designed to be inclinedand tive outer wall 7c vertical. Each section is provided at its cornerportions with strong attachment-plates m, having dovetail lugs andrecesses wlich are designed to become interlocked by lateral movement. Asliding key g passes through perforations of tle lugs m/ of differentsections to lock tl'ie parts in position. These attachment-plates extendvertically, and near tllem are provided vertical dovetail slots p,designed to engage dovetail lugs t, wlere by it is intended to preventdisengagement between sections while being raised or lowered before tielugs and recesses m m2 are engaged. Zhen proper alinement is reached forthe engagement of tlzese lugs and recesses, the lugs t pass out of tledovetail slots p at p tlrough lateral movement of the sections toeil'ect such engagement. Packing-strips o are employed to make thejoints water-tight- Tlese strips are placed between abutting i'langes oof tle dock-sections, and inasmuch as the dovctail-joint engagement oitle sections secures tlem togetlier the packing is readily andconveniently done, being only to prevent leakage of water. Thedovetail-joint engagement relieves the rivets o2 of the packing from allstrain, and thus prevents enlargement of the rivet-holes or breakage ofthe rivets, with consequent leakage. Each section, being hollow, iscapable of being submerged wlen water is allowed to float into it and ofbeing raised wir en tle water is pumped out of it. In connection witheach section is a pump z, having an inletetube r opening into the basinof the doek and with an inlet-tube r open` ing within the hollowinterior of the section,

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a valve r2 being provided to control the use of said inlet-tubes. Wenthe dock is made complete by securing tile sections together and packingthe joints, it may be iloated to the place where it is to be used andthen lowered, by submerging it, to receive a vessel to be docked. Thenthe gate-section having been floated into position in the rear section band secured in place the water can be pumped out trom tite basin betweenthe side walls, car-.sing tite dock to rise with the vessel. The dockmay be raised still more by pumping the water out of the hollow sectionswi en th is is desirable.

Usually the bottom ci the rear or stem section is made with a sielvingrise, as at w, and the sections are provided with. short keel portionsy. Lee-boards :c are also used to facilitate guiding ti'e dock intransportation. Each section is provided with tour anchors at itsdifferent corners, eacii anchor being attaced to a chain Li, passingthrough a bearing in an abutment 6 to a windlass.

This dock can be used in a channel or canal dug in a bank, or it can beused in tle middle of a river. In the latter case tie hollow sectionsare filled with water sufficiently to allow them to rest on the bottom.The anchors need not be used. ln deep water he anchors are necessary. i

The dovetail attachment lugs and recesses are designed to be madeslightly tapering transversely, so that tiey will connect easily with awedging action and will separate easily when necessary to take the dockapart.

The rear section of the dock may be provided with a partition-wallacross its rear portion, as indicated at 5, Fig. 7 ot the drawings, saidpartition-wall extending upward to the height oi the keel-blocks. Onthis partition the gate-boat is designed to rest against abutments, ashereinbeiore indicated. This construction is designed to provide a lowgate-partition wall which is permanent and is often sutllcient for lightdocking without using the boat-gate. It, however, a boatgate isrequired, such boat-gate may be made more shallow by the depth of thepartitionwall and will be to that extent more easily operated in placingit in position. Each ol the intermediate dock-sections may be providedw'th a partition-wall 5 and with abutments 5a, whereby the gate-boat maybe used with any intermediate section. lVhen the bow-section only isused with the gate, a lshallow dock of great convenience and safety isprovided for light work. This iloating basin-dcck,being closed at bothends, can be submerged, so that its water-line is about even with thewater-line ot the vessel to be docked. The vessel is therefore always inor nearly in its natural position and not liable to tall in case thedock should careen over or sink because of some accident, such as isliable to happen to a raised dock on account of its great exposure abovethe water-line.

Having described the invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s-

l. A iloating basin-dock consisting othollow sections havingautomatically-engaging connection devices, and independent packing 2. Afloating basin-dock consisting of hollow sections havinglaterally-slidable connection devices, abutting flanges havingsecuring-bolts, and packing-strips between said flanges.

3. A floating basin-dock consisting of hollow sections havingautomatically-engaging laterally-operating connection devices, andindependent packing means.

4. A iioating basin-dock consisting ot hollow sections havinglaterally-operating connection devices, locking means for the same, andpacking means having securing-bolts, said connection devices relievingthe bolts of the packing means ot strain.

5. A floating basin-dock having a closed bow-section and interchangeableand detachable open body and stern sections, and a gateclosure for thestern-section having automatically-engaging laterally-sliding means ofconnection therewith.

6. A iloating basin-dock consisting of hollow sections havingdovetail-joint connection means, and dovetail-joint means for preventingthe separation ot the sections while being raised and lowered.

7. A floating basin-dock having a closed bow-section, and detachableinterchangeable open body and stern sections, havingautomatically-engaging means of connection with each other, each of saidsections being provided with a keel.

8. A iloating basin-dock having a closed bow-section, detachableinterchangeable'open body and stern sections havingautomatically-engaging laterally-operating means of.

connection with each other, each oi' said sections being provided with akeel, and leeboards for guiding purposes.

In testimony whereof I atliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

VILLIS E. OVERTON.

Vitnesses:

JOHN J. MGCREADY, HALVOR H. HELLEN.

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